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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Child Stubborn With Certain Things. Does This Denote OCD?

My daughter will be 4 in june. On sunday she started with a few odd habbits. Not sure what they mean or if there is a problem with OCD or something. First she is keeping her hands in the fists position, she wont touch certin things, is asking for blankets, bedding, etc to be washed even if they were just washed. When I question her she doesn t have an answer for me, which I expect because of only be 4. There is no consistant pattern to any of it.
posted on Sun, 3 Feb 2013
Twitter Sun, 3 Feb 2013 Answered on
Twitter Sat, 9 Feb 2013 Last reviewed on
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Psychiatrist,  's  Response
Hi There, Thanks for asking. Childhood onset OCD usually begins around the age 10 to 12 or sometimes in the years after. For many of them a family stress exists which contributes to the maintenance of symptoms. On the other hand, many children have some behaviors to show their autonomy (sometime by such behaviors you described). These behaviors manifest around age 4 and then gradually subside. However, it could be a sign that the child has a transient anxiety about a family or social stressor. I wish you a good health.
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Psychiatrist,  Dr. Sundar Gnanavel's  Response
Hello....
Thanks for your query. Onset of OCD at this young an age is unusual. Oddities of behaviour and defiant/stubborn behaviour are common at this age. Lack of consistent pattern points towards absence of a serious disorder. Still, I would suggest a thorough psychiatric evaluation by a child psychiatrist to rule out OCD and other childhood anxiety disorders. Hope you find the suggestions useful.
Regards
Dr Sundar
Psychiatrist
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Child Stubborn With Certain Things. Does This Denote OCD?

Hi There, Thanks for asking. Childhood onset OCD usually begins around the age 10 to 12 or sometimes in the years after. For many of them a family stress exists which contributes to the maintenance of symptoms. On the other hand, many children have some behaviors to show their autonomy (sometime by such behaviors you described). These behaviors manifest around age 4 and then gradually subside. However, it could be a sign that the child has a transient anxiety about a family or social stressor. I wish you a good health.